Everkind Healthcare Limited

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 70 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider promoted kindness, empathy and compassion and supported staff to respect people’s privacy and dignity, however feedback we received was mixed.

Relatives’ told us compassionate care was not consistently demonstrated by all staff. One relative told us, “I am no expert, but they don’t all have the same level of compassion for the person and the people supporting them.” This reduced assurance that everyone consistently experienced the same kind, compassionate and respectful approach. As a result of this feedback, the registered manager discussed these concerns with staff and reinforced expectations around person-centred care.

However, staff we spoke with described providing personal care in ways that promoted people’s comfort and communicating sensitively when encouraging them to manage their health and wellbeing. Spot checks completed by leaders found that staff communicated well, and feedback showed that some people were happy with the care provided. One person told us, “They actually do go above and beyond what they are meant to.”

The provider treated people as individuals and ensured their care and support reflected their needs, preferences, strengths, abilities and personal backgrounds.

Care plans contained detailed information about people’s individual needs, preferences, personal histories and what mattered to them. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the people they supported. One staff member described how a person enjoyed the company of others, watching wildlife programmes and being clean-shaven. This showed that staff understood the person’s interests, social needs and personal presentation preferences.

People’s communication and emotional needs were also considered. The care plan for a person living with dementia directed staff to use the person’s name, introduce themselves, speak clearly, maintain eye contact and allow sufficient time for them to respond. Another person’s care plan included guidance about their anxiety, mental health, personal-care preferences and how staff should respond if they declined support.

Care plans also identified the relationships and social activities that were important to people. This helped staff understand each person beyond their immediate care tasks and provide support that reflected their individual identity, preferences and wider life.

The provider promoted people’s independence and supported them to understand their rights and retain choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing.

Care plans recorded what people could do independently, the support they required and how staff should respect their decisions and preferences. Staff understood the importance of enabling people to complete tasks for themselves rather than taking over. One staff member described supporting a person’s independence, saying, “[Person] can sometimes use the remote to change channels to what they want to watch. Sometimes they can drink their tea on their own.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s immediate needs and took action to minimise discomfort, concern or distress.

Care plans included guidance about responding to breathing difficulties, catheter problems and deterioration in people’s health. Staff understood when professional assistance was required and sought advice from healthcare professionals when people’s needs changed.

The provider used an electronic system that alerted staff when care visits were late. An on-call arrangement also enabled staff and people to seek management support outside normal office hours. One person said staff were generally punctual and told us, “The carers are always on time, unless there’s bad traffic, in general ten minutes early.”

Staff recorded concerns about changes in one person’s behaviour. When agreed visits were cancelled, staff made a welfare call later that day to check on the person’s wellbeing. This demonstrated that staff remained alert to potential changes and took action to provide reassurance and confirm the person was safe.

The provider promoted staff wellbeing and supported staff to deliver person-centred care.

Staff had opportunities to discuss their wellbeing, workload and professional development through supervision, team meetings and regular communication with leaders. Leaders were accessible, and staff felt able to raise concerns, seek advice and contribute ideas about service improvement. Staff received training and competency assessments relevant to their roles, while spot checks enabled leaders to review practice and provide further support.

One staff member said they sometimes covered additional care visits because of staffing pressures. However, staff also told us they received sufficient breaks and time away from work.